Are flexible workspaces adding to, or reducing ‘Zoom Fatigue’?
Who’d have ever thought, back in late 2019, that there’d even be a term for being on Zoom, (or Google or Teams etc..) too much, and that the strain of having our own face looking back at us for hours on end would be creating an increasing and real problem?
Of course, during the Pandemic, the use of video conferencing has spectacularly mushroomed, with several lockdowns and WFH (work from home) directives from government, Zoom has been the go-to for many trying to maintain business continuity.
So the phrase ‘Zoom Fatigue’ came into the public consciousness in early 2020, as many, including the National Geographic in this article commented on its causes and effects on the mental health, of our use video meeting platforms.
In the article, Andrew Franklin, an assistant professor of cyberpsychology at Virginia’s Norfolk State University, gives some insights into why the seemingly innocuous video meeting may be stressful for many.
he stated that for many people, the lack of non-verbal cues during online meetings, such as a person’s posture, fidgeting, breathing… and many others we rely on to gage feedback, create a strain when they are not available on the same way in a Zoom call.
He comments, “For somebody who’s really dependent on those non-verbal cues, it can be a big drain not to have them,”
Flexible workspaces and coworking
So on face value, it would appear that flexible workspaces, rising in popularity as an alternative to commuting to the head office, or struggling with all the limitations of working from home, would surely only add to the problem of Zoom fatigue?
But many in the coworking office space sector are offering a different point of view, in that the increased socialisation, the mingling with others in coworking environments that offer real human interactions, that can negate the ‘Zoom Fatigue’ effect.
Chelliah Nakeeran, CEO of online workspace platform BluDesks comments, “There is no doubt that ‘Zoom Fatigue’ is real and we have all experienced the exhaustion caused by long online meetings, without the balancing effect of in-person human interaction.”
“Coworking spaces naturally encourage more human social interaction in safe environments, so actually reinforcing the normal non-verbal cues, so although meetings may be online, the essential human interaction with other users of centres, we believe, lessens the ‘fatigue’ effect and makes for generally happier and more fulfilling worker experience.”
Although Chelliah’s views are not fully backed up with research at this stage, there would seem to be logic in his opinion, given that the alternative to working nearer to home, is the long commute into city centres and the well documented mental anguish of traffic, pollution and parking.
Is there a middle ground?
Many observers believe that the ‘Tribrid’ working model may be that answer to many of the problems associated with current Covid related work patterns.
‘Tribrid’ refers to the three options of: home working; head office; or working from flexible office spaces nearer a worker’s home.
Indeed, many business leaders have come out in favour of such a model, companies like Uniliver, BT and HSBC have recently stated that they will not be conducting a full office return for workers after Covid.
Bosses have seen that maintaining and paying for huge office leases is, in many cases not necessary, as remote working is actually viable and has worked well for many on either side of the employer-employee divide.
Chelliah believes that the answer relies on choice and finding an appropriate work setting and location, depending on specific needs: -
“This might look like holding a physical meeting at Head Office for important strategic or sales meetings, where the ‘non-verbal cues’ are all the more important, Whereas, more ancillary meetings can continue from the home office, or choosing to work from a flexible coworking space, with it’s human interaction and better connectivity.”
On that note of connectivity, it’s been a bug-bear of many using Zoom and other meeting platforms that another huge stress pertaining to holding online meetings is the ‘dropping out’ or pixelating, freezing and distortion of voices creates another huge angle of stress.
York based Architect, Rob comments, “It’s definitely very stressful as I work from a rural location and the internet is not the best, it’s a relatively new role for me so obviously I want to make the right impression, but it’s often me apologising when my image freezes and I just know I’m about to drop out again! If there was a good business centre nearby, I’d definitely be using it.”
So although ‘Zoom Fatigue’ is probably a phenomenon that is, to some degree, here to stay after lockdown ends, the benefits of using a flexible workspace will most likely outweigh the limitations of the home office, and the travel and stress of long commutes into city offices.
it will be very interesting to see how the situation unfolds over the coming weeks and months as we begin to fully come out of lockdown and companies and individual workers look to explore their options.